Amid the clamor of the world, James, who has just entered the NBA, began to be very low-key. In the fall of 2003, he replied to the media like a repeater: "This is not my team, this is the team of Big Z and Ricky Davis." This is both polite and correct, impeccable. No one believes it though: He's willing to give a shot to an injured center, a swing man who once shot his basket for a triple-double. Of course, some people really believe it. Davis said something that exposed his intelligence, which became a classic comedy years later:
"James would be my helper." We both have good athletic abilities and it is a good fit to get together. ”
"James would be my helper."
Cavaliers manager John Paxon said the Cavaliers' strategy was to "push James to the front lines as much as possible and put him on a little more responsibility." "But how to take responsibility is a big problem. At the end of the day, where does James take?
He is 203 cm tall and weighs a staggering 108 kg. A big forward-level physique with explosive speed and bounce. His style is a reference to the 2001 "Jordan + 'Magician'" saying: he can fly, single, break, score, and has the wide field of vision and comprehensive skills of a "magician". The overall advantage is that he can play any position, but the disadvantage is that you don't know what position he plays appropriately.
Little Emperor
In the Summer League, coach Paul Silas put him on the linebacker, and he averaged 21 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds per game. But the problem also arises: he is too tall, his dribbling skills can be crossed high school, but he is still young in front of the NBA's old and cunning Lightning defenders. He's faster than the average swingman, but he has no advantage over the defenders of the regular organization. The NBA's defenders know how to stick to him, stop him from organizing at half-time, and keep him from moving in small details.
He is still suitable for the swing man position. To be precise, an organizational striker. Attack the basket, use vision and passing to organize the team. But in the NBA, he has a lot to learn: his long-range shots are not good, his free throws are unstable. After all, he was only a high school student and had not experienced a tough confrontation at the university level. In the end, the only advantage he could see and touch was that terrible physical fitness. After a few training sessions, fitness coach Stan Kessler said in a tone of praise to God:
"If you combine a player's strength, bounce, agility, and speed into one point, 5 points out of 5, James is 6 points! This guy is simply the physique of a rugby full-back, the speed of a palace guard, plus the brain of a quarterback! ”
Coach Paul Silas was nervous. Ricky Davis went on a whimsical remark like "I'm a player like Jamel Marshburn and should be the forward of the organization." The team has a mix of talent from the No. 2 to No. 5 positions – point guard Davis, small forward Miles, big forward Carlos Boozer, center Z. Which one to remove? Really let James play as an organizational guard? Veteran defender Kevin Ollie has issued a well-meaning advice:
"The hardest thing about this position is that you have to be the coach on the field. When everyone else is walking wildly, you have to stay in control. ”
James arrived at the Cavaliers in early 2003
Let an 18-year-old high school student be the commander of the whole team... Does Silas really dare?
James almost stayed out of the way. He replied again and again, "I have no plans." It's all up to the coach. I'm in his hands. ”
But the mystery will always be revealed: on October 29, 2003, in Sacramento, James will have his first game. Want to know what happened next, Xiaobian continued next time.